McMaster’s provost and vice-president (Academic) is responsible for teaching and learning, faculty development, student experience, and strategic budgeting and planning.

From spin classes to systems change, Maureen MacDonald brings a unique blend of scientific curiosity and people-focused leadership to her new role.

Here, she reflects on her role as provost, her time as dean of the Faculty of Science and completing a quilt that was 25 years in the making.

What drew you to the provost role? 

I’ve had a front-row seat to the incredible impact that Susan Tighe and other provosts have made, especially Susan’s relentless drive to make improvements while also supporting individuals to thrive.

This role feels like the central air traffic control for campus: You need to care deeply about what matters to the McMaster community, support their ambitions, and advance the university’s mission while seeking opportunities to innovate and improve, and connect people for success.

I find tremendous joy in building those connections.

How does your background as a cardiovascular exercise physiologist influence your leadership? 

People think I study the heart, but I actually study blood vessels, this amazing structure that connects to every cell in your body, transporting oxygen and waste. Blood vessels allow us to go from rest to maximal capacity within three heartbeats.

That’s exactly what happens at a university each fall: We go from quiet, seemingly vacant spaces to maximal performance in two weeks, from move-in day to students filling Tim Hortons and the libraries.

Just like personalized exercise prescriptions for health, I think about personalized approaches for all the individuals I have the privilege to work with every day. How can we help optimize everyone’s performance for impact?

Tell us about your pandemic spinning classes that became office hours. 

When the pandemic hit, I reached out to staff and faculty who had attended my spinning classes and offered to continue teaching on Zoom. I could talk about science and I thought stationary bikes could be a great vehicle for knowledge translation. It evolved into something really meaningful. Some days we had 20-25 people from around the world. The associate dean invited a friend from the U.S.; a colleague from the U.K. joined, too, and it became this wonderful mix.

One memorable moment was when Mattheus Grasselli, our deputy provost, requested a RuPaul’s Drag Race themed class. I bought feather boas and delivered them to people’s houses. I even had T-shirts made saying “We Love Burpees” for everyone.

I was born in the Yukon, but I grew up in Nova Scotia. On my birthday one year, everyone surprised me with Nova Scotia backgrounds on their Zoom screens and sailor hats. It was a creative way to promote health and wellness while staying connected.

You led the Faculty of Science through a period of growth and transformation. How are those experiences shaping your early days as provost and your priorities in the months ahead? 

I led the Faculty of Science through both resource-positive and resource-scarce times. I learned from those experiences that if you think you’re communicating enough, communicate a little bit more. Create forums for two-way communication and not just about outcomes, but also process. We have incredible people here and they have great ideas.

I found that communication was fundamental to shaping our shared priorities in the Faculty of Science and deciding how I was going to spend my time.

What’s most important to you about McMaster’s academic mission? 

Creating opportunities for people to flourish — students, faculty, and staff. They’re all key to our academic mission.

A key part of the provost role is helping everyone look up and look further ahead. But first, people need to know you care about them, their circumstances, opportunities, and aspirations.

Only when people feel security and interest can they dream and talk about their dreams.

One of the most amazing things about working at McMaster is that we get to see the future every day in our students and it is certainly bright.

Let’s get personal: Any surprising hobbies? 

My hobby is quilting! I started in grad school at Waterloo where I earned my MSc and PhD in Kinesiology. Everyone made fun of me for taking my sewing machine to the lab and riding the bus to St. Jacobs for quilting classes.

During the pandemic, I finally finished a quilt I’d started 25 years ago.

Quick favourites 

Morning person or night? Morning, definitely.

Snack of choice? Potato chips — every kind! My dream is to show up Monday morning and find all kinds of potato chips waiting for me.

Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke.

Favourite sport to watch? Any sport involving our Marauders, though I spent many years watching my three sons play hockey.

Reading? I’m juggling three books: a romance novel called Atmosphere about spaceflight, The First 90 Days leadership book, and Science and Love about Nobel Prize winner August Krogh and Marie Krogh.

Perfect day? A whole day alone — I’m actually an introvert despite how people perceive me. A little gardening, a lovely salad lunch, a workout, and reading almost all day.

Song to get energized? Anything by Pitbull!